Maternity skirts



Dec. 19, 1961 M. SATIN MATERNITY sxmws 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 30, 1958 INVENTOR Dec. 19, 1961 M. SATIN 3,013,277

MATERNITY SKIRTS Filed June 30, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. firxfi Lam-77, BY 74 4,# 7?? WW United States Patent O1 'ice MATERNITY SKIRTS Marvin Satin, Chicago, Ill., assignor to H. A. Satin & Co., Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed June 30, 1958, Ser. No. 745,373 '1 Claim. (Cl. 2-221) This invention relates to maternity skirts.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a maternity skirt provided with expandable pleated sections to permit the skirt to be worn throughout the maternity period and which will compensate for the expansion of the midriif of the wearer.

Another object of this invention is to provide a maternity skirt with pleated side sections and elastic waist bands secured to the pleated side sections to normally maintain the pleats in folded overlapping position and which permits unfolding or expansion of the pleats as the midriif of the wearer distends during the maternity period.

Another object of this invention is to provide a maternity skirt with no outside visible means of adjustment, which may be worn as a normal skirt for normal wear, and which may also be worn as a maternity garment, which is neat and attractive in appearance, comfortable to wear and which is inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object of this invention is to provide a skirt of the foregoing character which is so constructed that it will maintain an even hemline throughout the expansion of the midriff of the wearer.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view showing when worn on a normal midriff.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the skirt when worn with a distended midriif.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged inside elevational view taken along one of the sides of the skirt, showing the elastic webbing and the pleat arrangement.

FIG. 6 is a view taken on lines 66 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view of a portion of FIG. 6 but with the elastic distended and showing the position of the pleats.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged front view of the upper portion of the skirt which extends around the midriff.

The skirt body which is formed of cloth or the like and generally indicated at 10 comprises a front section 12, a back section 14 and two pleated side sections 16. These sections are joined together along vertical stitching lines, or said body may be formed of a single piece of material. Each of the pleated side sections 16 is pleated to form overlapping folds or pleats 18 and said pleats extend the length or height of the side sections. An elastic strip of webbing 20 is secured to the inside of the pleats, as best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Each elastic strip 20 is stitched at its opposite ends as at 22 and 24 to the front and rear waistband portions of the skitr while in non-distended position. The elastic strip 28 is stitched to the pleats 18 by vertical lines of stitching 26 along each of vertical inside folds of the pleating so that the folds or pleats overlap and incline to the rear at an angle, as shown in FIG. 6. The vertical stitching lines 26 are parallel with the pleats 18. The elastic strip 26 is in non-distended or normal position when the pleats 18 are stitched thereto. When the elastic strip 20 is distended the pleats assume the unfolded or nonoverlap position, as shown in FIG. 7.

Secured to the top of the front section 12 of the skirt body is a strip 28 of cloth material which is folded upon itself and stitched at the bottom along a line of 3,013,277 Patented Dec. 1 9 1 961 stitching 30 to the top of the front section 12 of th! skirt. It is also stitched at its opposite ends by th same stitching 22 to the elastic strips 20. The fron strip 28 is shaped to provide a curved or arcuate shape top portion 32. e i

Secured to the top of the back section 14 of'the skir body is a strip 34 of cloth material which is fold upoi itself and stitched at the bottom along a line of stitchin; 36 to the top of the back section 14 of the Skirt body The opposite ends of strip 34 are secured to the elasti strips 20 by the same stitching 24. It will be seen tha the top of the curved or arcuate shaped portion 32 o. the front strip 28 extends above the level of the waist band of the skirt, the purpose of which is to compensati for the expansion of the skirt and to maintain an ever hemline.

The waistband of the skirt comprises the front clotl strip 28 and the back cloth strip 34 and the two Sldt elastic strips 20 which join the front and back clotl strips. Also secured to the waistband portion of the skir along each side thereof are a pair of strap members 3'. and 38 which may be stitched by the same stitching 21 and 24 as used in stitching the elastic strips 20. Eacl pair of strap members 36 and 38 may be tied togethe: as shown to the left of FIG. 1 to cover the pleats 18 ad jacent the midriif of the wearer.

The skirt when worn on the normal midriif will b: as shown in FIG. 3 with the side pleats 18 gatheret together similar to that shown in FIG. 6, however, a: the midriff becomes distended the elastic strips 20 wil expand to compensate for the expansion of the midrif and the folds of the pleats will spread or unfold to z non-overlap position, as shown in FIG. 7 without detracting from the pleat appearance. -Also, in normal po sition the front strip 28 of the skirt will be worn a: shown in FIG. 1 with the top line 32 thereof in an arcu ate shape. As the skirt expands by the expansion 01 the midriff, the shape of the front strip 28 will compensate for the shape of the distended front midritf ol the wearer and the top line 32 of same instead of assuming the curved or arcuate shape will gradually tent to lower and straighten out until at the most distendec' midrilf position of the wearer, the top line 32 of the front strip 28 will assume a substantially straight line. in line with the top of the sides and back portion 01 the waistband. This prevents the front hemline 40 frorr creeping up and helps maintain the hemline of the skir on a uniform level around the skirt.

There is thus provided a skirt which may be worr throughout the pregnancy period and will compensate itself for the expanding midriff, yet maintain the attractive appearance of the skirt while maintaining an ever hemline.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made from the foregoing without de' parting from the spirit and scope of the appended claim I claim:

A maternity skirt comprising a skirt body having z front section, a back section and two side sections, witl said side sections formed of overlapping folds, an elastic waistband strip secured to the upper ends of each of the said side sections by vertical lines of stitching on the inside fold lines of the overlapping folds to normally maintain the folds in overlapping relation and to allow the folds to unfold when the elastic waistband strips are expanded, the folds being transverse to the direction 01 stretch of the elastic strips, said front section having at its upper end a front waistband provided with an outwardly curved upper edge to compensate for expansion oi the skirt and to maintain the hem line level of the skirt even throughout, said front waistband of said front section, said upper ends of said two side sections, said elas- 3 tie waistband strips and the upper end of said back section forming an encircling waistband for said skirt, a pair of straps secured to said encircling waistband adjacent each of the two side sections so that each pair of straps may be secured together to cover the pleats around the waistband of the side sections.

1,013,764 Goldberg Jan. 2, 1912 Stein July 29, 1913 Keller Aug. 19, 1913 Rockwood Aug. 3, 1926 Barmon Feb. 23, 1937 Koret Apr. 16, 1946 Gilbertson Dec. 8, 1953 

